A systematic review of the use of Reiki in health care

The main purpose of the study was to determine what the national and international evidence reveals about the use of Reiki in health care. The study was designed as a systematic review of the available literature on Reiki, with extraction of all papers presenting primary research on its use in health care. Two chief independent assessors (S.H-M. and F.P-K.) conducted this systematic review over a 12-month period in 2005 and 2006. Specific data collected in the review included the: (1) aims and health care focus of the research and the country in which it was conducted; (2) professional group(s) involved in the research; (3) designs, samples, and methods used in each research study; (4) Reiki technique used and the duration and frequency of treatment, and level of expertise of the practitioner; and (5) outcomes of the research. Studies were also reviewed for the recommendations the researchers made for development of the practice of Reiki, its adoption and the scope of its use, and future research in Reiki